/*
 * Copyright (c) 2006, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 * ORACLE PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
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package javax.lang.model.element;

/**
 * An immutable sequence of characters.  When created by the same
 * implementation, objects implementing this interface must obey the
 * general {@linkplain Object#equals equals contract} when compared
 * with each other.  Therefore, {@code Name} objects from the same
 * implementation are usable in collections while {@code Name}s from
 * different implementations may not work properly in collections.
 *
 * <p>An empty {@code Name} has a length of zero.
 *
 * <p>In the context of {@linkplain
 * javax.annotation.processing.ProcessingEnvironment annotation
 * processing}, the guarantees for "the same" implementation must
 * include contexts where the {@linkplain javax.annotation.processing
 * API mediated} side effects of {@linkplain
 * javax.annotation.processing.Processor processors} could be visible
 * to each other, including successive annotation processing
 * {@linkplain javax.annotation.processing.RoundEnvironment rounds}.
 *
 * @author Joseph D. Darcy
 * @author Scott Seligman
 * @author Peter von der Ah&eacute;
 * @see javax.lang.model.util.Elements#getName
 * @since 1.6
 */
public interface Name extends CharSequence {

  /**
   * Returns {@code true} if the argument represents the same
   * name as {@code this}, and {@code false} otherwise.
   *
   * <p>Note that the identity of a {@code Name} is a function both
   * of its content in terms of a sequence of characters as well as
   * the implementation which created it.
   *
   * @param obj the object to be compared with this element
   * @return {@code true} if the specified object represents the same name as this
   * @see Element#equals
   */
  boolean equals(Object obj);

  /**
   * Obeys the general contract of {@link Object#hashCode Object.hashCode}.
   *
   * @see #equals
   */
  int hashCode();

  /**
   * Compares this name to the specified {@code CharSequence}. The result
   * is {@code true} if and only if this name represents the same sequence
   * of {@code char} values as the specified sequence.
   *
   * @param cs The sequence to compare this name against
   * @return {@code true} if this name represents the same sequence of {@code char} values as the
   * specified sequence, {@code false} otherwise
   * @see String#contentEquals(CharSequence)
   */
  boolean contentEquals(CharSequence cs);
}
